


Easy Company Bar & Restaurant

by penguinated



Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-11
Updated: 2016-10-19
Packaged: 2018-06-07 17:42:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6817600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/penguinated/pseuds/penguinated
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's never pleasant working in the restaurant business, but these guys make it seem, well, easy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Robbery

Easy Company was closed for the night.  
Buck Compton counted and re-counted the bills. He was a well-liked and respected manager of the very popular bar and restaurant, Easy Company. His employees enjoyed his easy-going demeanor and overall friendliness. Not only that, but he was good at his job.   
“Alright, Kitty, you’re good to go,” he said as he put away her things from cashing out.   
“Thanks, Buck,” she replied, a tired smile claiming her lips as she stepped out of the office to head out of the restaurant and go home. It had been a long shift indeed.   
Kitty Grogan was a waitress at Easy Company, and was best known for being the fiancée of another manager, Harry Welsh. Kitty was a sweet woman. She had a big heart, but was fierce when she needed to be, and adored by her co-workers. As she walked through the back, she stopped by the dish pit.   
“You doing okay, Popeye? Need any help?” she asked.   
“Nah, Kitty, you go on home, I got this covered,” he assured her as he stacked some plates and returned them to the shelf. Popeye was your typical southern boy who worked as a dishwasher. He was one of the most reliable people there.  
“You sure?” she asked again.  
“Yes, ma’am.”   
She nodded and then made her way to the kitchen, where the cooks, Joe Toye and Bill Guarnere were closing down. Those two were generally considered some of the toughest guys at Easy Company. They were the people who ran the kitchen best when the kitchen manager, Floyd Talbert, wasn’t around.  
“Joe? Bill? You guys good back here?” she questioned.   
“Kitty, I swear to God if you don’t go home…” Joe began but did not finish his statement.   
“Yeah, go on home and give Harry that good lovin’ or he’ll be such a fuckin’ pain in the ass tomorrow you’ll be down one fiancé,” Bill threatened with a grin.   
She smirked. “Just wanted to be sure,” she said and walked back toward the front of the house.   
“Hey Renee,” she said as she passed the bar. “Need any more help?”  
The bartender smiled. Renee was a French exchange student who worked at Easy Company part-time in order to pay her way through nursing school. She was considered one of the nicest people working at the restaurant.  
“Actually, yes,” she said, her French accent still thick, despite living in the United States for almost a year now. “I have so many wine glasses to polish tonight. That bachelorette party was crazy!”  
“No problem!” Kitty agreed, and picked up a rag to help. She almost regretted it once she saw the amount of glasses, but she would have hated leaving Renee to do that alone. So, they began working.   
“Are you off the clock?” Renee wondered.   
“Yeah,” Kitty said with a shrug. “But it’s no problem, I don’t mind helping you out.”  
“Thank you so much! You are so sweet!”  
The girls polished and chatted for a while, and Renee offered to give Kitty back her tip out for helping with the dishes, which Kitty refused, so they moved on to other things like how the shift went and the hopes for the next day as well.   
Then something very odd and very shocking happened. Two men came in wearing ski masks. Kitty opened her mouth to tell them that they were closed, but before she got a word out she was tackled roughly to the ground by one of them and her head hit the floor with a loud SMACK. Renee gasped. Kitty saw stars for a few moments and felt hot stickiness begin to flow down from her forehead. She was bleeding. She was also quite disoriented now, and feared that she might have a concussion. The man pinning her pulled out a hand gun and pressed it into her back. The other man, who was also wielding a gun quickly took hold of Renee. He had a firm grip on her arm and aimed the barrel at her temple.   
“Where’s the manager?” he demanded.   
“H-he’s in the back,” she managed to say as she felt her eyes begin to well up with hot tears.   
“Let’s go,” the man urged, and pushed her forward.   
They walked into the back of the house and there they almost collided with Popeye, who was bringing the beer mugs out to put in the cooler. He stopped dead in his tracks, as if he could not quite believe what he was seeing.   
“Fucking stay quiet and put your hands up,” ordered the robber. “Or I’ll shoot this girl.”  
Popeye put the mugs down on the floor and held his hands up in the air. Just then, Bill and Joe came around the corner from the pit and they too were frozen with shock. The robber repeated his threat.   
“Where’s your manager?!” he barked, pressing the barrel to Renee’s skin now. She whimpered.  
“Alright, stay cool, pal,” said Bill. “He’s just in here.” He indicated the office door with a jerk of his head. Then he called for Buck. “Buck! Might want to get out here! We got us a situation!”  
After what felt like a very long two seconds, Buck emerged from the office with a heavy sigh. “I swear to God, Bill, if you broke another –”  
“Shut up!” the robber cut across him. “Where’s the safe? I want all the cash out of it now!”  
Buck also put his arms up. “You can have it. But first, I need you to not point that gun at my employee. You can have whatever you want if you –”  
“You’re not really in a position to make demands, big guy,” said the robber. He looked around, and seemed to grow nervous the number of guys around him, especially with Bill and Joe making their meanest faces. “All of you, get back to the bar now!”   
Still holding Renee, he forced them back toward the bar, behind which Kitty now sat, the first man sitting on a stool and holding his pistol menacingly.   
“Hey, what the fuck?!” cried Joe upon seeing Kitty. “She’s bleeding!”  
“Shut up!” he barked. “Or she’ll get a lot worse!”  
Joe glowered at him.  
The one holding Renee forced Bill, Joe, and Popeye onto the floor next to Kitty before shoving Renee down there as well for his friend to watch while he followed Buck back to the office. The first man continued to point his gun at Kitty.   
They sat there in dead silence for what felt like hours while the man just stared at them, his eyes going over each of them one by one, back and forth down the line. Renee blinked back her tears and put on a brave face. Popeye, Joe, and Bill glared at the man. Kitty’s face was slightly pinched in pain, as her head was throbbing.   
“Hey, Kitty, you okay, baby?” Bill dared to ask.  
Before she could answer, the robber interjected. “Hey, I said no talking!”  
Kitty stole a glance at Bill and gave a small nod, which he returned. Shortly after, Buck and the other robber emerged from the back, the robber with about three thousand dollars cash in his hands. He locked eyes with his partner, and they looked at the Easy Company employees.   
“You have what you want,” said Buck, his voice like ice. “Now get the fuck out of my restaurant.”   
Their guns still raised, they backed out the front door. Once they were out, Buck locked the door behind them and then turned to his staff.   
“Is everyone okay?” he asked.   
They all began to get themselves off the floor, Joe helping Kitty to her feet and Popeye assisting Renee. Joe took his thumb and gently rubbed the blood off of her forehead.   
“Bill, call the cops,” Buck said. “I’ll call Dick and Lewis, and someone else get Harry on the phone. If Kitty’s got a concussion, she can’t drive herself home.”   
“I think I’m okay,” Kitty said.   
“Just hold on, so we can make sure,” said Popeye.   
The police arrived within minutes along with Dick Winters and Lewis Nixon, the owners of Easy. Buck was giving his account to them, but everyone had to remain in order to tell their side. Just when the police were beginning to ask Kitty questions, Harry arrived, looking terrified as he took Kitty into his arms, interrupting her mid-sentence.   
“Harry, darling,” she said into his chest. “I’ve got to tell the police what happened.”  
“They can wait,” he said, holding her closer.   
After a moment, they parted, and Harry looked very hard at her. The paramedics had arrived with the police and had given Kitty a bandage and confirmed that she did indeed have a concussion, but it was minor and she should be okay in a few weeks.   
“Sir,” said the officer closest to them. “I’m sorry, but we need the rest of her testimony.”   
“Of course,” Harry agreed reluctantly, but kept his arm around Kitty’s shoulders protectively.   
Joe, Popeye, and Bill were sitting on the curb, smoking cigarettes as they had already told their stories. Buck walked over to them while Dick and Lewis questioned Renee.   
“How you guys holdin’ up?” he asked.   
“We’re fine,” Bill replied. He jerked his head toward the girls. “It’s them you should worry about.”  
Buck nodded and went over to Renee, Dick, and Lewis.   
“Hang tough,” Dick said, putting a comforting hand on Renee’s shoulder. “Take your time coming back to work, okay?”  
She could only nod and wrap her arms around herself before looking up at Buck who took her into his arms in a hug.   
“You’re gonna be alright,” he whispered in her ear. “We’re always gonna take care of you.”  
A tear slid down her cheek onto the shoulder of his jacket. “Thank you,” she breathed. 

The next day, Dick called Renee to tell her that George was taking her shift so that she could recover for a few days. There was a knock at the door at around nine in the morning. She got out of her bed and padded across her apartment to the door, behind which was Eugene Roe, another bartender at Easy Company. He was a rather serious man with a thick Cajun accent. He and Renee were quite close, as they could both speak French, and he helped her learn English.   
“Gene?” she questioned.   
He looked at her, his brows furrowed with concern. “Bill told me that Easy was robbed at gunpoint last night. You doin’ okay?”   
She started to nod, but then changed her mind. “Not at all,” she told him. “I never even got to sleep last night.”   
Gene looked at the ground with a sigh and then back up at Renee. He pulled her into a hug, which was apparently much needed, as she immediately melted into it.  
“I’m so sorry, belle,” he soothed as he rubbed her back. “Anything I can do?”  
He felt her shake her head. He just held her for several moments.   
“You want me to stay, or do you want to be alone?”   
She held his gaze. “Can you stay a while? I’m afraid if I am alone I will keep thinking about it.”   
“No problem,” he assured her, and led her back inside. He made coffee and they decided to watch movies to keep her mind off of things. He did not ask her for details on what happened. He just stayed with her, knowing she would share when she was ready.   
Later, when Gene left to go to work, Renee got a call from Kitty.   
“Hey, girl, how are you?” Kitty asked.   
Renee sighed. “Okay, I suppose. And you? Is the concussion very bad?”  
“It is what it is. I won’t be able to work for about a month. Not that I would, anyway…Do – do you know if you’re going back?”  
There was a brief pause. “No,” Renee said. “But I love my job and I need it to pay for nursing school…”  
“I totally get it,” Kitty said. “I’ve got a wedding to pay for. Of course, Bill, Joe, and Pop will go back, so we’ve always got them for comfort if we need it.”  
Renee thought about Gene and how he had spent the day with her. “And others.”  
Kitty seemed to understand her meaning. “Yeah, and others.”  
Renee wanted to talk about something else. “Well, the time off should give you more time to plan for the wedding!”  
“That aspect, I am excited about!” Kitty replied. “I’m definitely not going to spend the month lying around, I am going to be productive. This may be too ambitious, but I honestly think I could get everything together in a month if I’m not working. In fact, are you interested in going dress shopping with me? I’ve already asked Faye and Franny to come, and of course they are. So, now there’s just you, Patricia, and Jo Anne.”  
Renee perked up. “I would love to! That sounds like fun!”  
“Awesome!” cried Kitty. “We’re going tomorrow. I’ll see you then, okay?”  
“Okay!”  
“Great! Call me if you need me, I’m staying in with Harry tonight.”  
“Thank you.”  
“Later, Renee!”  
“Goodbye!”  
Renee hung up, definitely feeling better. Spending the day with Gene was great, and now she had wedding dress shopping to look forward to tomorrow. Making plans felt good – like what happened at Easy hadn’t happened, and she was just going on living her life. She hoped that was also how Kitty felt. Of course, Kitty had a constant companion in Harry. Renee, as many friends as she had, lacked that kind of relationship. She was very close to Gene, of course, but she was doubtful that he would ever see her as more than a friend. She didn’t know that she even wanted that. She had no idea how she felt about Gene, and she truly enjoyed the deep friendship they currently shared. All she wanted right no was to forget about having a gun pointed at her.


	2. New Person, New Policy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The owners of Easy implement a new policy and hire a new manager.

Eugene hated leaving Renee alone, but he did have to be at work. He entered Easy Company from the back, where Floyd and Frank were preparing the kitchen for the shift. Floyd Talbert was a dependable man, and an effective kitchen manager. He usually delegated, but his trust in his cooks was not unwarranted. Frank Perconte was a small, fiery guy from Illinois whose main quirk was an obsessive need to have clean teeth. He was the one cook who never ate while on the clock.  
“Hey, Doc,” said Floyd. “Better hurry to the front, there’s a meeting in five minutes.”  
“Meeting?” Eugene returned.  
“Yeah, all the managers are here, plus Winters and Nixon, to discuss the robbery last night,” Frank clarified. “They had to do it this morning too.”  
“Well, don’t you two also have to be there?” Eugene asked.  
“Yeah, but we already relieved the morning shift,” Floyd said. “Luz is trying to leave before he has to sit through it again.”  
“Got it,” said Eugene, and headed out to the bar. George was cleaning some glasses rather impatiently.  
“Doc, finally!” he cried. “How’s our girl?”  
George Luz was a bartender and Easy Company’s main jokester. He was particularly adept at impressions and sarcasm, but it was never ill-natured. He was overall cheerful, and he loved his co-workers very much.  
“She’s okay,” Eugene answered. “Thanks for covering for her.”  
“No problem, I needed the cash anyway,” George said. “Well, everything’s ready for tonight, including side work, so you can get to that meeting.”  
“Great, thanks,” Eugene said.  
“I still can’t believe this happened,” George continued. “I mean, it’s Easy Company. Everyone loves this place.”  
“George, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you so serious,” Eugene noticed.  
He shrugged. “Don’t get used to it,” he said with a grin. “I’m gonna get outta here. Have a good shift, Doc.”  
He clapped Eugene on the shoulder before heading to the back to gather his things and say goodbye to everyone else. Eugene started setting up some things on the bar when he saw the owners of Easy Company, Dick Winters and Lewis Nixon coming out of the back with Harry Welsh, the manager on tonight. The other managers were with them: Norman Dike and Buck Compton. The head server and floor manager, Carwood Lipton was also there. Frank and Floyd also emerged, with the dishwasher for the night, Babe Heffron. The wait staff were gathered by the host stand, and Lip called them over. The servers on tonight were: Skip Muck, his girlfriend Faye Tanner, Don Malarkey, Franny Peca (who was Bill’s girlfriend), and Shifty Powers. Then Eugene approached. There was also a person that no one seemed to recognize.  
“Hey, everyone,” Lip began. “I know we don’t usually do a pre-shift, but there’s some news we want to share with you.” Carwood Lipton was most easily described as the mom of the restaurant. He looked around at everyone before continuing. “Some of you may have heard that Easy Company was robbed at gunpoint last night.”  
“What?!” gasped Skip.  
“Is everyone okay?” asked Faye.  
Lip nodded. “Everyone’s fine,” he said. “Kitty has a small concussion, but other than that, no one got hurt.”  
“But we did lose three thousand dollars,” added Dike, and Harry shot him a disbelieving glare.  
Lipton cleared his throat. “The reason we’re having this meeting is because we have change in policy. I’ll let Mr. Winters explain.”  
Dick stepped up. “Thanks, Carwood. So, yeah, after the events of last night, Lewis and I talked it over with the store managers, and we decided that from now on, when we close the restaurant, everyone has to leave together.”  
“What does that mean?” asked Malarkey.  
“Well, up until now, you’ve been able to leave once you finished your section, did your side work, and then cashed out,” Lewis explained. “Now, you have to wait for everyone else to be done. And we mean everyone, in front and back of the house.”  
“We’re doing this because last night, there were only two gunmen, but when they came in, Renee and Kitty were alone,” Buck added. “We figure that if they came in, and the whole staff had been here…well, they probably wouldn’t have come in at all.”  
“We realize this isn’t the most convenient thing in the world,” Lip continued. “But we don’t want anything like last night to ever happen again. We care about our staff, and we want you all to feel safe while you’re at work.”  
There was a pause.  
“Does anyone have any questions?” asked Lip.  
“Does this mean we’re closing earlier?” Malarkey asked almost hopefully.  
The corners of Lip’s mouth twitched. “Very funny, but no.”  
“It does mean that we are going to be more conscious of locking the door right at closing time, though,” Buck added.  
“We hope you all understand the new policy and why we’ve implemented it,” said Dick. “To add to security, we’ve hired another manager. Allow me to introduce, Ron Speirs.”  
The new guy that everyone had been glancing at throughout the meeting stepped forward.  
“Ron was the manager at Fox and Hound, and we’re really glad to have him on the team, so I hope all of you will step up and make him feel welcome,” Dick continued.  
“I’m glad to be here,” Ron said. “And rest assured, under my command, Easy will never be robbed again.”  
There was a very awkward silence.  
“Did he really just say ‘under my command’?” Skip whispered to Malarkey, who did his best not to chuckle.  
“I’ll be around tonight for training,” Ron went on, either not having heard Skip or electing to ignore him. “I plan on knowing everyone’s name by the end of the week.”  
Another thick silence.  
“Well, have a good shift everyone,” said Nixon, and he and Dick departed. Buck and Dike also left, and Harry took Speirs back to the office. Everyone else dispersed, with Faye heading to the host stand to seat a couple that had just walked in.  
Gene headed back to the bar. Faye walked up soon after.  
“What can I get for you?” he asked.  
“The lady at my table wants a Long Island iced tea and the gentleman would like scotch on the rocks,” she said. “They said the house is fine.”  
“Comin’ right up,” he said.  
“Thank you, boo,” she returned.  
He started on the mixed drink while Faye went to fetch her appetizer from the pit window. When she returned, her drinks were almost ready.  
“How’s Renee?” she asked.  
“She’s alright,” he answered. “She said she couldn’t sleep though.”  
“That’s understandable,” she said. “Franny said that Bill was a little restless too. But can you believe Dike talking about the money?”  
“Barely,” he said. “But he ain’t exactly close to all of us.”  
She rolled her eyes. “I’m glad he’s not the manager on tonight. I’d lose it.”  
“I’m really glad he wasn’t the manager last night,” he replied.  
“Oh my God, everyone would have died,” she said.  
Eugene chuckled and placed her drinks on her tray. “Well, I guess we got lucky.”  
She laughed as she took her things to her table.  
“Doc,” came the voice of Skip. “I need an Irish car bomb.”  
“You ain’t even got a table yet,” Gene protested.  
“I know, it’s for me,” Skip returned playfully.  
Gene rolled his eyes as Malarkey and Skip stood by the bar to wait.  
“I’ve heard about this Ron Speirs guy,” he said. “A guy who worked at Fox and Hound told me that Speirs once fired a guy just for taking a smoke break.”  
“What? No way,” Malarkey protested.  
“It’s true,” Skip insisted.  
“Maybe they got a different policy over there,” Gene interjected.  
“Oh, come on, Doc,” said Skip. “No restaurant says you can’t smoke.”  
Gene shrugged and then got to organizing the beer glasses by brand in the cooler. He was the only bartender who cared about which beer went into which cup. Skip and Malarkey were still discussing the new manager. Gene didn’t really care about any rumors as long as Speirs meant what he said about Easy Company being safe with him around.  
Before too long, the night was in full swing and the restaurant was busy. Eugene had a good deal of customers at the bar. It turned out to be a pretty good night. The servers were cashing out after they finished their sections.  
“Some bitch left me a two dollar tip on a fifty dollar tab,” Faye complained.  
“Aw, they stiffed you, baby,” Skip said, kissing her on the top of the head and taking a seat next to her. “Hope it didn’t affect you too much.”  
“Not really,” she assured him. “Just kinda pissed me off is all. That whole table was so needy and none of them tipped more than ten percent.”  
“Maybe they just couldn’t afford it,” Shifty offered.  
“I call bullshit,” said Malarkey. “If you can’t afford to tip, don’t go out to eat.”  
“Heard,” agreed Franny.  
Babe walked out from the back with two racks of glasses. Gene groaned, and Babe gave him an apologetic look.  
“Sorry, Doc,” he said.  
“Hey, any server who helps me polish these glasses can keep their tip out,” Gene offered.  
“Done!” cried Skip and Malarkey in unison, and they got to their feet.  
“Hey, Babe, is there any more silverware back there?” asked Faye.  
“Nope, you guys got it all,” he told her.  
“Sweet, we already rolled it,” she said.  
Lipton then emerged from the office. “Hey, Harry’s still showing Ron how to do discounts and coupons, but I can start cashing y’all out if you’re ready.”  
“I am,” said Shifty, and handed his things to Lip.  
Lip was counting the cash and double checking the credit card receipts but still managed to ask Shifty about Popeye since they were roommates.  
“Well, he’s doin’ just fine,” Shifty said. “He was a little shook up last night, but he seemed back to his normal self by the time I left today.”  
“Good,” said Lipton. “Will he be back at work anytime soon? I’m making next week’s schedule.”  
“Oh, yeah, he told me to tell you to schedule him same as ever,” Shifty said. “He’s ready.”  
“Thanks, Shifty,” Lipton returned. “You’re good on your cash out. Go see if you can help out Babe or the cooks.”  
“You got it,” Shifty agreed, and headed to the back.  
“So, Lip, you hopin’ this new policy will encourage some more teamwork around here?” asked Gene.  
“Well, we can’t leave until everyone is done, so it’s going to whether we like it or not,” Lipton said.  
“How’s it gonna work with Late Night?” wondered Malarkey.  
Late Night was when Easy Company went from a restaurant to a club. The tables got pushed to the back, creating a dance floor. This happened every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night, and only the bar remained open.  
“Well, during Late Night we have bouncers,” said Lip. “According to Winters and Nixon, this just means we search bags and stuff as people come in.”  
“I would love to see what Bull would do if a guy with a gun tried to come into Late Night,” said Skip. “Just picture it.”  
“I’d rather not,” said Lip.  
“Were any of you guys there that time some guy wouldn’t leave Renee alone?” asked Malarkey. “It was during Late Night, and Renee was bartending, and this dude continued to ask for her number, and then said he wouldn’t pay his tab until she gave him her number. He reached across the bar and Bull kicked him out so fast, I swear his head spun.”  
“Yeah, I was there for that,” said Skip. “That guy tried to come back to Late Night about a week ago and Johnny didn’t even let him in the door.”  
Just then, Harry, Ron, Babe, Shifty, Frank, and Floyd emerged from the back.  
“All set, Harry?” asked Lip.  
“Yeah, we’re all good to go,” he returned. “Everyone ready to get the hell outta here?”  
There was a collective cheer as everyone headed for the door. Harry cut the lights off and everyone headed outside to the parking lot. Harry locked the door, and most everyone stood around to smoke and chat for a bit.  
“With this new rule, now we can also smoke together after the shift,” said Faye. “That’s kinda nice.”  
However, Eugene was not staying. He was going back over to Renee’s to make sure she was still doing okay. He went straight to his car.  
“Hey, Doc!” called Skip. “No smoke?”  
“I’m takin’ mine to go,” Gene replied. “I’m gonna check on Renee. I’ll see y’all next time!”  
With that, he got into his car and departed.  
“Geez, you’d think they were dating,” said Skip.  
“Maybe they are,” Malarkey said with a shrug.  
“Who even cares?” said Babe. “Everyone here hooks up, it’s a fuckin’ breeding ground.”  
Gene got to Renee’s and knocked lightly on the door. When she didn’t answer, he tried the knob, and found it unlocked. He stepped inside to find Renee awake on the couch.  
“Eugene,” she said as if releasing her breath.  
“You gotta get some sleep, belle,” he told her, taking a seat to her right.  
She blinked and a tear leaked from her eyes. It crawled down her cheek as she swallowed.  
“I can’t,” she said. “Every time I close my eyes, I see Kitty get tackled and then a gun in my face.”  
He didn’t know what to say. On his way over, he had stopped at the store and bought her a Hershey bar. He retrieved it from his pocket, broke off a piece and held it out to her.  
“Chocolat,” she said with a chuckle.  
“Pour vous,” he returned. “I know it’s not what you get at home, but it’s better than nothin’.”  
A few years ago, when Renee had started at Easy Company, she had brought in some chocolate from France for everyone. She and Eugene instantly bonded when she learned that he could speak French. It made her feel a little more at home while she was in another place. She was once again reminded of this comfort she had in him.  
“Merci,” she said, taking a small bite.


	3. A Reason to Party

Within two weeks, Bill, Joe, and Popeye were back at work. Kitty was still out due to her concussion, and Renee was still deciding. She had not stepped foot in the restaurant since the robbery, and no one blamed her. Eugene was visiting her frequently, and had asked David Webster to cover a shift for him so he could be with her. David was a college student working part time as a bartender. He was bookish and handsome, with a tendency to be a bit pretentious at times. His coworkers never let him get away with it though, particularly one Joe Liebgott, a skinny dishwasher with a lot of attitude. Initially, they had not gotten along at all, and still disagreed about a lot of things, but had formed a very strange friendship from it.  
“Hey, Web,” Joe said. “I thought Doc was working tonight.”  
“No, I’m covering for him so he could spend time with Renee today,” David explained. “I think he’s gonna try and convince her to come back to work.”  
“I hope he does,” said Joe. “Miss that girl.” He paused. “Anyway, I’m having a party tonight at my place.”  
“What’s the occasion?” asked David.  
“I wanna fuckin’ throw a party, that’s the occasion,” Joe retorted.  
“I suppose you wouldn’t have brought this up if you weren’t inviting me,” David speculated.  
“Yeah, you’re invited, Web,” Joe said. “But watch the snark, or you won’t be.”  
He said no more, but walked to the back, greeting the others and telling them about the party. David watched him and rolled his eyes. Then a customer came and sat at the bar, so he turned his attention to them.  
“Hello, sir, how are you this evening?” he asked politely.  
“Doin’ well,” the customer returned. “Can I just get your best scotch please?”  
“Coming right up.”  
David got to work, and ended up being glad that he had taken Doc’s shift for him. He made a good deal of money. As everyone finished and sat down to wait for the manager to let them leave, David pulled out a book from his backpack.  
“Whatchya readin’, Webster?” asked one of the servers, Donald Hoobler as he took a seat.  
“It’s a book for class,” David answered. “We’ve got to read Pride and Prejudice.”  
“God, I hated that book,” said Joe.  
“You’ve read that book?” questioned David.  
Joe smirked. “Don’t look so surprised. I love to read.”  
“I mean, I’ve seen you with comic books and stuff, but I didn’t know you read actual literature,” David replied.  
“Jesus, Web, just when I thought we were bonding,” Joe said, shaking his head.  
Just then, Lipton came from the back. “Okay, guys, Harry’s almost done with the cash outs so we’ll be getting out of here in just a few minutes.”  
“Hey, Lip, you coming to my party tonight?” asked Joe. “Everyone else is.”  
“Yeah, I guess I’ll stop by,” Lipton agreed.  
Harry finally came out from the office. “Okay, guys, let’s get out of here.”  
Everyone got up and headed for the door. Harry locked it and then joined the others who were gathering to smoke a cigarette outside. Lipton didn’t smoke, but would stay anyway to make sure everyone made it to their cars.  
“So, how’s Kitty holding up?” Skip asked Harry as they smoked.  
“Honestly, she’s fine,” Harry replied. “Ready to come back to work and everything. The doctor told her a month, though, so I’m making her wait. Plus, she’s getting a lot of wedding stuff done while she’s out of work.”  
“So are you two coming to my place tonight?” asked Lieb.  
“Sorry, Joe, not tonight,” Harry said. “I have to take Kitty to a very early doctor’s appointment. Another time.”  
Joe scoffed. “Yeah, right. Maybe after the honeymoon, huh?”  
Harry chuckled, and took a drag from his cigarette. “Yeah, probably.”  
“Well, let’s finish these cigs, guys, and get to my place,” said Joe, putting his out. His phone dinged and he glanced at it. “Babe and Bill are already there.”  
“So is Malark,” Skip added, also looking at his phone.  
“How did they all get in?” wondered David.  
Joe smirked. “Front door doesn’t lock,” he said.  
With that, he and the others walked to their cars, leaving David to trail behind with a very shocked look on his face.  
When they arrived at Joe’s place, most everyone was already there and the party was in full swing. Luckily, Joe had stocked the fridge ahead of time. Joe walked in and shouted a greeting at everyone, which was returned enthusiastically.  
“Anyone got beer pong set up yet?” he asked.  
“Nah, we were waitin’ on you to show up,” replied Denver Randleman, a bouncer who always had a cigar and everyone called “Bull.” Bull owned the bouncing company, and was always at Easy for Late Night. His employees included Buck, Johnny Martin, who was also a bartender, and Pat Christenson, another server. The other three worked as bouncers to make extra money when they weren’t doing their primary jobs. However, Bull worked with the managers, and got their schedules fixed so that they never conflicted.  
“Well, let’s get it started!” Joe insisted, and together, he and Bull set up the table.  
“You wanna play, Webster?” asked Bill. “I bet you’ve gotten pretty good, what with all them college parties.”  
“Actually,” David admitted. “I’ve never played. I don’t go to parties at school, I spend most of my time studying.”  
All eyes turned on him.  
“Web,” said Bill. “Are you really tellin’ us that you are almost finished with college and you ain’t ever played beer pong?”  
“Uh, yeah,” David replied. “I have never played beer pong in my entire college career.”  
“Well, you gon’ learn today, boy,” said Bull.  
Buck and George took one end of the table. Bill and Joe Toye took the other. Lieb stood next to David in order to explain the game. The cups were set up in the traditional pyramid fashion on the table, and the game began. Bill and Joe soon had a strong lead over Buck and George.  
“Hey, Buck, you gonna shoot leftie all night?” wondered George, slightly irritable from losing.  
There was a general outcry from the others. Shouts of “Come on!” and the like.  
“I’m just saying, ‘cause he’s right handed!” protested George.  
“George,” said Buck. “What would I do without George Luz?”  
He switched hands and tossed the ball flawlessly into the cup. Shouts of “OOHHH!” went through the party, and Bill and Toye chugged their drinks. Even with Buck shooting right handed, he and George lost. Bill and Toye bragged, and then Lieb turned to David.  
“You ready, Web?” he asked.  
David smirked. “Yeah, I am!”  
He and Lieb stepped up to replace George and Buck. Bill looked at his partner.  
“Any worries here, Joe?” he asked.  
Toye chucked. “Not a fuckin’ one.”  
“Alright,” Lieb returned. “Don’t get cocky, we got beginner’s luck on our side.”  
Bill opened his mouth to respond, but as he did, David sunk his first shot. The ball landed with a soft “plunk” in the water. Bill and Toye gaped at David, who raised his eyebrows in challenge. Then the game began. It was very close, but Bill and Toye ended up winning.  
“So much for beginners luck, eh, Joe?” Bill taunted.  
“Yeah, yeah, you guys won, so the fuck what?” Lieb said. “Fuck this, I’m goin’ to smoke.”  
He departed, and David watched him go. As the next pair (Bull and Johnny) came to the table, David followed Joe outside. He found the latter lighting a cigarette. David retrieved one from his own pack. Joe gave him a light.  
“So, why don’t you tell me why you’re really doing this?” said David.  
“The fuck, Web?” wondered Joe. “I told you, I just wanted to have a party.”  
“And I don’t believe you,” David returned.  
Joe took a long drag from his cigarette. He took such a long time to speak, that David feared he might not. But he waited.  
“Okay, my roommate moved out,” Joe finally said. “I love my apartment, but I can’t afford the rent without a roommate. Figured I’d just throw an awesome party and enjoy it while I’ve still got it.”  
There was a pause.  
“I’ll move in,” David offered.  
Joe stared at him. “Are you serious?”  
“Yeah,” David assured him. “I’ve been wanting to get out of my parents’ house for a while now. This place is really nice, and I already know the guy I’ll be living with. It’ll be fine.”  
They held each other’s gaze for several moments.  
“Web, this is really…” Joe began, but trailed off. “This is damn nice of you.”  
“Hey, it’s a win-win,” David replied. “But, uh, if I’m gonna live here, we’re gonna have to have a door that locks.”  
“Okay, but you’re paying for it,” said Joe. He winked. “Thanks, buddy.”  
David rolled his eyes. They were just putting their cigarettes out when the form of Renee emerged from the parking lot and stepped onto the porch. Her face was flushed, but her lips were parted in a hopeful smile.  
“Well, hello, beautiful!” David greeted and pulled her into a hug.  
“Am I too late for the party?” she asked.  
“Absolutely not, sweetheart,” insisted Joe, kissing her on the cheek. “Come on, we were just going inside.”  
He opened the door, and let Renee go first. Everyone gave a shout of greeting upon seeing her. She beamed as the guys all came over and hugged her or picked her up or kissed her cheek. She had only really spent time with Gene lately, and she missed the rest of them terribly. Before following her, Joe stopped David.  
“Hey Web,” he said. “You sure there’s gonna be enough room here for all your real literature?”  
David rolled his eyes. Joe laughed as they stepped over the threshold and back into the party, where Bill and Toye were still dominating the beer pong game. They had just defeated Skip and Malarkey. Babe was passed out on the couch. Bull and Johnny were teasing a relatively new server, Lester Hashey. Floyd and Frank had started a game of flip cup in the kitchen. George and Smokey Gordon (another cook) were also in the kitchen, apparently trying to come up with a new cocktail to serve at Easy. Doc looked on with an amused smirk. Faye was talking animatedly with Renee and the other girls. Lip was checking up and making sure everyone drank enough water. David looked on all his coworkers, realizing just how much he appreciated them. He looked at Joe.  
“Let’s have more of these,” he said.  
“Jesus, one party, and we’ve created a monster,” Joe joked.  
“I’m serious,” David insisted. “When I move in, let’s have more of these. It’ll be fun.”  
“Yeah, okay,” Joe agreed. “Then maybe Bill and Joe will be knocked off the beer pong throne.”  
David smiled.


	4. News

After a month, things were finally back to normal at Easy Company. Kitty and Renee decided to come back to work together, and everyone celebrated when they did. Everyone was now also used to the new manager, Speirs. In fact, they were rather fond of him. They much preferred him to Dike, who most everyone thought the restaurant could well afford to lose now. But that was only a speculation. Winters and Nixon were not people who fired their employees without a damn good reason. So, people remained. Renee and Kitty were actually kind of anxious to meet the new manager, but they got along well. No one was really surprised, considering the women were some of the best employees at Easy. They were working the morning shift together their first day back.  
“Smokey, I hope you made some coffee,” Kitty said into the pit to one of the cooks.  
Smokey Gordon was easily one of the most well-liked individuals by fellow employees and customers. Whenever something was wrong with the food, he went out and somehow charmed the complaint away. No one was quite sure how he did it. He also had a knack for clever poems about his co-workers achievements and other events. With him was John Janoveck, a younger, upbeat guy who was popular with women. He always played music while he worked, and no one minded as long as it didn’t conflict with the front of the house.  
“I did, baby girl, it’s in the pot,” Smokey assured Kitty.  
“You’re a gem,” she told him. “I’d never make it through a morning shift without Smokey’s coffee.”  
“Hand it here, I’ll make it just how you like it,” he said, and she did so.  
When he handed back to her, she took a sip and groaned. “I love you.”  
“Well, I won’t tell Harry if you won’t,” he joked. “Now, get to opening, I gotta butter this garlic bread.”  
She took one more sip before placing it by the pit window to keep it warm. She started to make tea while Chuck Grant, the other opening server, emerged from the walk-in cooler with lemons which he was preparing to cut. Chuck was also well-liked and well-respected among the employees. He was a leader among them, and many thought that he should be made head server along with Lip.  
“Hey, Chuck,” Kitty said brightly.  
“Hey, it’s good to see you, Kitty!” he returned, and pulled her into a hug. “We’ve missed you around here.”  
“I’ve missed being here!” she said. “Renee’s back too, she’s at the bar.”  
He set the lemons in the wait station. “I’m gonna go say hi, but don’t cut those, I’ll be right back.”  
“You got it,” she said.  
When he returned, they caught up with one another as they completed their opening side work. The other servers on the schedule – Malarkey, Skip, and Shifty – trickled in before opening. All three were also excited to see the girls back at work. The shift went well. Some of Kitty’s regulars came in and were thrilled to see her back at work. She assured them that she would be back for a long time now. They left her a huge tip which the rest were all pretty jealous of, but simultaneously thought she deserved it. Renee had a good day as well. Both had no regrets about returning to work. Lip came in to see both of them even though it was his day off. He sat at the bar and Renee made him a drink after he had given her a hug. He pulled Kitty in for one too when she walked over.  
“Lip, you didn’t have to come in,” she said. “You so rarely get a day off.”  
“No, I had to come and see my girls,” he protested, and took a sip of his beer. “I like knowing for myself that my employees are okay.”  
“You came to my apartment three times,” Renee pointed out, smiling.  
He looked at the ground and chuckled. “I know. But now I know you’re both back where you belong.”  
Kitty placed a kiss on is cheek. “You’re the sweetest.”  
He blushed a little. Then her table called her over and she departed. Lip looked at Renee.  
“So, are you feeling okay being back here?” he asked.  
She nodded. “It feels great to be back. Like coming home after vacation. But you all do know I will not be a bartender forever, right? I am in school!”  
“Yeah, we know, we just don’t like to think about it,” he returned. “But you’re gonna be a great nurse. That much we do know.”  
“Thank you,” she said. “I will miss this place when I’m gone, though.”  
“Well, come back and visit,” he said simply.  
“I definitely will,” she assured him. “So, how are you?”  
“I’m fine,” he answered. “I spend most of my time here, as you know.”  
She looked very hard at him. “You don’t seem fine.”  
“Jo Anne…” he began, but seemed to lose his nerve. Jo Anne was his wife, and she worked part time at Easy. She and Kitty were very close. He swallowed hard. “Jo Anne found a lump in her breast.”  
Renee’s hand jumped to her mouth and she gasped. “Oh, no!”  
He shushed her subtly. “We don’t know for sure yet, what it is. She’s going to the doctor today to find out – she’s there now, but we are kinda worried. She has a history of breast cancer in her family. The hardest thing is that I work so much, I don’t spend enough time with her, but if I cut back my hours, we won’t be able to afford treatment if it is cancer.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.  
“I am so sorry,” Renee said. “Is there anything I can do?”  
He shook his head but he smiled. “No. But thank you. You are very sweet.”  
She offered a small smile. “I will keep you in my thoughts.”  
He nodded and then checked his watch. “I’ve gotta go. She’ll be done soon.”  
She wished him luck as he stood up and departed.  
“Hey, is Lip okay?” questioned Don Malarkey as he approached. “He didn’t even say hi.”  
“I’m not sure I can say,” Renee replied. “It’s very personal.”  
“Damn, really? Is it Jo Anne?”  
Renee looked down.  
“Oh, shit,” he breathed. “On another note, I need a White Zinfandel and a Vat 69.”  
“Vat 69?” she questioned. “Is Mr. Nixon here?”  
“Yeah, he and his wife,” he said.  
“You’ve got it,” she said, and poured the drinks.  
Don thanked her as he picked them up and carried them over to the table. As he approached, he could already tell that this was not a pleasant conversation between Mr. Nixon and his wife. Kathy had tears in her eyes, and Lewis just looked extremely confused. Don opened his mouth to alert them to his presence, when Kathy spoke.  
“I want a divorce,” she said.  
Don froze. In all his serving career, he had never had such horrible timing. He was just a few feet from the table, holding their drinks in his hand, and now he wanted nothing more than to turn around and take them back to the bar. But her wine was quickly getting warm in his hand. Especially now that he felt so uncomfortable. So, he watched for a few moments, hoping there would be a break in the conversation that would allow him to do his job. He wished they had gone to a different restaurant. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that he was getting sat again, so he had to be quick. He saw that Nixon was about to speak but he interrupted.  
“Your drinks!” he said, unusually bright as he placed them on the table.  
Kathy looked away uncomfortably. Nixon immediately picked his up and drained it.  
“Bring another one of these out with the meal,” he said.  
Don was drawing a blank on a response. He sputtered a bit before finally saying. “You got it. You guys just holler when you’re ready to order.”  
Inwardly, he hoped that would not happen. He tried to shake that off as he went up to his next table.  
“Hey, how are you folks doing today?” They gave the usual greetings. “My name is Don and I’m going to be taking care of you. What are you drinking?”  
He took their drink orders and rang them in the computer before going over to Skip who was at the host stand.  
“Skip, you are not gonna believe what just happened to me,” he whispered.  
Skip perked up. “Geez, Malark, what is it?”  
Don told his friend what happened at Mr. Nixon’s table. Skip burst into laughter.  
“This isn’t funny!” Don cried.  
“Jesus Christ,” Skip chuckled. “That would only happen to you, Don, holy shit.” He wiped tears from the corners of his eyes. Don punched him in the arm.  
“Seriously, what do I do?” he wondered, glancing over at the table.  
“You just gotta act like you didn’t hear it and treat it like any other table,” Skip said.  
“Dude, you don’t understand, you can physically feel how awkward it is over there,” Don argued.  
“It’s Mr. Nixon,” Skip said. “No matter how it goes, you bring him his Vat 69, it’s a guaranteed twenty bucks.”  
Don sighed. “I guess you’re right. I’m still uncomfortable as hell, though.”  
“Oh, I didn’t realize you were such a little bitch,” Skip teased.  
Don hit him again. “Shut up.”  
They looked over at the table again, but in the few minutes they were talking, Kathy had left. Don slowly walked back over.  
“Will you be ordering, Mr. Nixon?” he asked.  
Nixon shook his head. “No. In fact, I’m just gonna go sit at the bar. Thanks, Don.”  
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He retrieved a twenty and handed it to Don. Then he picked up his glass and went to the bar, where he instructed Renee to pour him another Vat 69. She did so. Don picked up the untouched glass of wine and took it to the dish room. Babe was back there.  
“Jesus,” he said. “I can’t fuckin’ stand it when people barely touch what they order. It’s more shit to wash. Hey, Malark, you okay?”  
“It was Mrs. Nixon,” he replied. “She was asking for a divorce.”  
“Holy shit,” Babe said. “Is Mr. Nixon still here?”  
“Yeah, he went to the bar,” Don explained. “I think I’m gonna step out for a smoke.” He headed toward the back door.  
“Hold on, Kitty’s out there on the phone with her doctor,” Babe said. “It seemed kinda serious, I’d give her a minute.”  
Don sighed. “Yeah, alright.”  
Out back, Dick Winters pulled up. As he parked his car, he saw Kitty outside talking on the phone. He knew it must be serious, since she was not the type of employee to shirk her duties to socialize. He stepped out of the car, needing to get inside. Moments ago, Lewis had called him saying he needed him to come to Easy right away, that he had news. As he walked by Kitty, he nodded at her, but stopped when she noticed she had tears in her eyes. Inexplicably, she beamed at him.  
“What is it, Kitty?” he asked.  
“That was Dr. Bryan on the phone,” she said. She held his gaze, still smiling. “Dick, I’m pregnant.”  
He blinked. “What?!”  
She nodded. “I’m going to have a baby!”  
Without warning, she leaped into his arms. He chuckled as he caught her.  
“That’s amazing!” he told her. “You’ve got to tell Harry!”  
“Oh, I know, I just, I’m so happy I can barely breathe,” she returned, starting to laugh. “I can’t – I can’t believe this! This is amazing! Oh, I’ve got to talk to Ron, I need to go home!”  
“I’ll talk to Ron,” Dick offered. “Consider yourself cut. Get home and tell him.”  
“Oh, thank you, Dick!” she cried, and kissed him on the cheek. “Harry’s gonna be so happy, I know he will! I can’t wait!”  
She hugged him once again, and then they went inside where Kitty gathered her things, and without another word, left for home. Dick sighed, and told Ron that Kitty had to leave, but didn’t say why. He would leave telling the others to Harry and Kitty. Then he went to the bar, where he saw his friend, Lew sitting with a bottle of Vat 69. He went over.


	5. Aftermath

Dick took a seat next to his friend. Nix took another shot of Vat 69 before refilling his glass. Dick considered cutting him off, but decided against it. He looked at Nix expectantly.   
“Kathy is divorcing me,” he said.   
Dick swallowed. He had a hard time knowing how to feel just now, considering what Kitty had just told him. Harry and Kitty were starting a family. Lewis’s was falling apart. He was happy for one friend and rather devastated for the other.   
“I’m sorry,” Dick decided to say.   
“She’s taking everything,” Nix continued. “Taking the kid, the house, the dog…” He trailed off. He took another shot, swallowed, and groaned. “She doesn’t even like that dog – SHE’S TAKING MY DOG!” He slammed his glass down, causing the woman down the bar to jump a little. Dick shot her an apologetic look.   
“What do you need?” he asked.   
“To keep drinking,” Nix replied.   
“Nix, do you need somewhere to stay?” Dick offered. “I’ve got a spare bedroom at my place.”   
Nix sighed. “Yeah. I did mention she was taking the house, right?”   
Dick nodded and shifted closer to his friend. “I’m here for anything you need.”   
“Thanks, Dick,” Nix said gruffly, and drained another glass.   
Meanwhile, Kitty could barely contain herself as she drove home. She felt herself getting emotional as she drove, and did her best to stay focused on the road. She also found it hard not to speed as she made her way to her and Harry’s house. She rolled into the drive way, threw the car in park, turned it off, and practically sprinted inside, searching wildly for her fiancée.   
“Harry!” she called as she came in the door. She rounded the corner into the living room.   
“Harry!” she called again. She went into the kitchen.   
She went up the stairs, and heard the shower running in their bathroom. She burst into the room.   
“Harry!” she cried.   
He poked his head out of the curtain. “Did you get cut? That’s early.”  
She beamed at him. “I’ve got some news for you.”   
He opened the curtain with a smirk. “Well, why don’t you join me?”  
“Sure,” she agreed. She stripped out of her clothes and stepped over the side of the tub.   
Harry wrapped his arms around her waist as the water poured around them. “What’s this news you have for me?”   
“Harry,” she began. “You’re the love of my life. I am beyond excited to tell you that…” she trailed off, her voice catching in her throat as emotion overwhelmed her. He gave her a concerned look. “I’m pregnant.”   
He blinked. “What?”  
“We’re gonna be parents!” she exclaimed.   
He cracked a grin like none she had ever seen before. Then he kissed her hard. When they broke apart, they were breathing heavily, smiling at one another.   
“Are you happy?” she asked.   
“Are you kidding?!” he returned. “I haven’t been this happy since you agreed to marry me!”  
She giggled. “Me too.”  
“Speaking of which, let’s push up the date of the wedding,” he suggested.   
“Really?” she asked. “But, we haven’t planned everything!”  
“Forget all that stuff,” he argued. “You’re carrying my child, I’m gonna marry your ass off!”  
She laughed again. “I love you!”  
“I love you too.” He kissed her sweetly.   
“Harry, I am so excited to be parents,” she said.   
“I’m excited too,” he replied.   
“I love you so much,” she said again, pressing her lips to his chest.   
“I love you too,” he returned, pulling her closer.   
“Thanks for making an honest woman out of me,” she joked.  
They laughed excitedly together.   
Across town, Carwood Lipton was in a waiting room, wringing his hands. He was staring very intently at the tile floor of the hospital. He then ran his hands through his hair. When he looked up, a surprise met his eyes. Ron was there, looking at him.   
“Are you okay?” Ron asked.   
“Uh, yeah,” Lip replied, a little confused. “You didn’t have to come all the way here.”   
“I got it out of Renee,” Ron replied. “About Jo Anne. So yeah, I did have to come here.”   
There was a beat of silence. Since Ron had started at Easy, Lip had been his guide to everything. Lip was a true leader among the staff. Ron was not what some would call affectionate, but he showed how much he cared about everyone he worked with. This was one of those ways.   
“Thank you,” said Lip, and Ron took a seat next to him.   
“So, she’s almost done?” he asked.   
Lip nodded. “Yeah, she’s getting the results. She wanted them in person.”   
“Well, I would too,” Ron said. “How long have you two been married?”  
“Three years,” Lip told him. “We were high school sweethearts, so we’ve been together a lot longer than that.”  
“I see,” said Ron. “That’s a very romantic story.”  
“What about you?” asked Lip. “Are you married?”  
Ron shrugged. “I was. It didn’t work out.”   
They sat in silence for just another moment before Jo Anne came out. Her expression was difficult to read. Lip got to his feet.   
“Well?” he wondered.   
“It is cancer,” she told him, and he sighed. “But, it’s in the early stages, so it’s treatable. And the doctor said he’ll work with us on a payment plan. Our insurance actually covers a lot of the treatment.”  
Lip ran a hand through his hair. Ron took note of this reaction. Whenever Lip was stressed or concerned, his hand jumped to his hair. Jo Anne noticed her manager.   
“Hi, Ron,” she said, a note of surprise in her voice.   
“Hey, Jo,” he returned. “I was just keeping your husband company so that he wouldn’t drive himself crazy. I’ll leave you guys to it.” He clapped Lip on the shoulder. “It’ll be okay.”   
New beginnings were happening among the leadership of Easy. Nix was soon moved into Dick’s apartment and set up in the extra bedroom. Harry and Kitty were simultaneously planning a wedding and creating a nursery. Lipton and Jo Anne created a new budget, and were starting on the path toward a treatment. They knew that all of this was possible through the support of their staff.


	6. The Websters

“Hey, Joe,” said David as he came in from work. Joe was lounging on the couch, reading a comic book. “Did you hear about Harry and Kitty?”  
Without looking up, Joe replied, “Yep, he knocked her up so they’re getting married before anyone notices.”  
David rolled his eyes. “Well, that’s one way of putting it.”   
“What’s your point, Web?” Joe asked, a smirk on his face.   
“Just making conversation with my roommate,” David said.   
Joe frowned. “What do you want?”  
“What, I have to want something to talk to you?”   
“This is different,” Joe said. “There’s a different tone to this conversation, and I don’t like it.”   
“Well, I do have something to tell you,” David admitted. “My parents are coming over tonight for dinner. They called me and said they want to meet you.”   
“Are you seriously asking me to meet your fucking parents, Web?” Joe demanded, closing his book and setting it on the coffee table.   
“…yes,” David answered.   
Joe considered this for a moment. “I don’t really do that.”  
“Do what? Eat?” David returned.   
“Fuck no, Web, meet parents!” Joe said.   
“Maybe just think of them as people,” David suggested.   
Joe scoffed. “No, I think I’ll just go to the Trio’s,” he said.   
‘The Trio’ referred to Skip, Malarkey, and Alex Penkala. They all lived together in a house that they rented. It was often a refuge for their coworkers in situations like this.   
“Come on, Joe, they just wanna know who I’m living with,” David pressed.   
“Fuck that,” Joe said. “You’re a grown man, you can live with whoever you want.”  
“Shouldn’t it be a point of pride for you that I want you to meet them?” David continued.   
This seemed to have Joe stumped. He scoffed again, muttered under his breath, and left the apartment. David sighed. He hadn’t really expected Joe to agree, but he had to admit he was disappointed. His parents were very excited to see his apartment and meet his roommate. He didn’t want to let them down. But also, he had hoped to let Joe into his life a little. He thought that if he did, Joe might return the gesture. David was drawn to his new roommate – in ways he had not felt before.   
When his parents arrived, David was glad to see them. His mother told him the apartment was just charming, and she was so glad he got the lock on the front door fixed. His father was impressed with the structure of the place, and thought it suited a young man to have a place of his own – even if he did have a roommate.   
“Speaking of my roommate,” David said apologetically. “He won’t be joining us for dinner. He had…well, he just said he couldn’t make it.” He swallowed, hating lying to his parents.  
Mrs. Webster’s face sunk. “No worries, dear. Another time!”   
With that, David began making plates of spaghetti he had prepared. He was making dinner in order to prove to his parents that he was capable of surviving on his own.   
“So, how are you doing, son?” his father asked. “Still keeping up with school work and your job?”  
“Yep, it’s all going great, Dad,” David assured him. “I am actually able to balance everything.”   
“We had absolute faith in you, dear,” his mother interjected, kissing him on the cheek. “And your spaghetti tastes wonderful!”  
“Thanks, Mom,” he replied. “I used your recipe, but it’s not nearly as good as yours.”   
“Well, you’ll get better with practice,” she joked.   
“So, this roommate of yours –” Mr. Webster began, but was cut off by the front door opening. Behind it stood none other than said roommate.   
“I hope I’m not too late,” Joe said. “Got caught up with…a thing.”   
David got to his feet. “Not at all, Joe. Grab a plate, the spaghetti’s on the stove.”   
Joe nodded, and went to the kitchen, trying to shake off the thick, awkward silence. When he sat down, Mrs. Webster smiled warmly at him.   
“Well, it is great to meet you, Joe,” she said.   
“Yeah, you too,” he returned. “Sorry, it was so last minute.”   
“No problem, son,” said Mr. Webster, clapping Joe on the shoulder.   
The rest of dinner went very smoothly. Joe was able to get to know the Websters a little more and vice versa. They got along surprisingly well in David’s opinion. Joe was the most polite he had ever seen him. As he watched his parents laugh with his roommate, he couldn’t help but smile. This was exactly how he had wanted this night to go. In fact, he was sad when it came to an end. Joe helped Mrs. Webster into her jacket at the door.   
“It was just lovely meeting you, Joe, really,” she said. “I’m glad our boy has a roommate like you.”  
“I will take good care of him, Mrs. Webster, don’t you worry,” he replied.   
She beamed and kissed him on the cheek, before embracing her son as well. “Thank you so much for dinner, kids.”  
Mr. Webster shook Joe’s hand and then quickly hugged David. “Yeah, we’ll have to return the favor sometime.”   
“Hey, we might have to take you up on that,” Joe said, turning to David. “No offense, Web, but I hope your mom’s a better cook than you are.”   
This got a laugh out of David’s parents. They said their last goodbyes and then left. When the door closed behind them, David rounded on Joe. He was grinning. Joe scowled.   
“What?” he demanded.   
“You came to dinner,” David explained. “You actually showed up. You care, Joe. You have a heart.”  
“Look, you said you wanted me to be there, so I came to dinner, big deal,” Joe said, shrugging. “What’s to be giddy about?”  
“You did something you really didn’t want to do,” David continued. “And you did it for me. Thank you. That was really sweet of you.”   
Joe suddenly seemed very interested in his own shoelaces. “Yeah, well, whatever. I can be a pretty nice person if I wanna be.”   
David nodded. “Yeah, you can.”   
With that, David began cleaning up. Joe laid on the couch and returned to his comic book. David hummed to himself as he washed the dishes.   
“You wanna be nice again and help me with these?” he asked.   
“I wash dishes all fuckin’ day, you think I wanna wash more when I’m at home?” Joe returned.   
David shrugged. “Just a suggestion.”   
When the dishes were finished, David took a seat in the chair of the living room, picking up his own book, and began to read. They sat there together, not talking, but perfectly content with one another’s company. After about an hour, David heard deep breaths from the couch. He looked over to find Joe asleep. He glanced at the clock and understood why. It was almost one in the morning. He got to his feet and grabbed a blanket from the basket in the corner. He laid it over Joe, who didn’t even stir. Then David headed to his bedroom, thinking he really did have a great roommate.


	7. There's Just Something About Faye

Busing tables had to be Don Malarkey’s least favorite thing about being a waiter. He didn’t mind doing it for people he cared about, though, and he remembered this as he was picking up the dishes off of Faye’s table. She was talking to some other guests, and Don’s were okay, so he had time. It didn’t hurt that he was madly in love with her. This was something Don had never told anyone about. Being in love with his best friend’s girl was a problem he kept strictly to himself. He intended on keeping it that way, as he would not risk his friendship with Skip for anything in the world.   
“Thank you, Don,” Faye said as she walked by.   
“No problem,” he returned.   
He passed her by the pit window as he made his way to the dish room. Babe Heffron was the dish washer. Don heaved a sigh.   
“You alright, Malark?” Babe asked.   
“Yeah,” Don replied. “Just a long day.” It certainly was. This was one of the few days where Don was working with Faye and Skip was miraculously off. These were a bit harder. With Skip around, his feelings for Faye were easier to ignore.   
He went back out and refilled some drinks. Then he went to the host stand (the name was a formality, since Easy didn’t really have a host – the servers usually handled seating), where Faye was hanging out. She stuffed her phone into her apron as he approached.   
“Relax,” he said. “It’s just me.”   
She chuckled. “Good. I thought it was Dike. He’s the only manager who really cares if we’re on our phones.”   
“Yeah, he’s in the office, so no worries,” he assured her.   
“Ugh, I hate him,” she complained. “He’s also the only manager who doesn’t help out the restaurant while he’s here. He just sits in the office doing…I don’t even know.”   
“Probably just jackin’ off,” Don joked.   
She giggled. “Probably.”   
She picked up the pen on the stand and drew a tic-tac-toe board.   
“Wanna play?” she offered. “It’s hella slow.”   
“Sure,” he agreed, and promptly snatched the pen from her. “But I get to go first.”   
She feigned offense, as he drew an “x” in the center square. He passed the pen to her and she drew an “o.” They played two more times, with Don letting Faye win each round, before she left to print a check. He also went to see if his table was ready for their check, but felt as if his fingers were tingling where they had brushed Faye’s hand. He shook his head to clear it as he walked. His customers ordered some desserts and he rang them in.   
“Joe!” he called to the cook. “You got time to make that banana pudding or should I?”   
“I got you, Malark,” Joe assured him, and went to the cooler.   
Joe fixed the banana pudding and Don delivered it to his table. They thanked him, and he met Faye back at the host stand.   
“Hey, Don,” she said. “If I tell you something, will you promise not to tell anyone else? I’ve got something on my mind, and I know I can trust you to keep this a secret.”  
He was confused, but answered, “Of course, Faye. What is it?”  
She held up her hand in a fist save her pinky finger, which she extended. “You have to pinky promise. No one can know. Not even Skip.”  
Don hesitated. He had no idea what Faye could possibly tell him that she couldn’t tell Skip, but that notion made him nervous. He considered just telling her to keep it to herself, but found he could not deny her. So, they grasped pinky fingers. He swallowed hard when they released each other.   
“Okay, I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t want to seem like I’m stealing Kitty’s thunder or anything,” she said, her voice a whisper. “But I think I might be pregnant too!”  
He absorbed the words and blinked at her a few times. “So…you’re excited about this?”  
She nodded. “Yeah! I mean, Skip has always wanted kids, and I’m ten days late. I’m going to the doctor tomorrow to find out for sure.”   
He made himself smile. “I’m so happy for you guys!”  
“Well, don’t get too excited,” she said. “It could be a false alarm.”   
“Did you take a home pregnancy test?” he asked.   
“Yep,” she said. “It was inconclusive. Makes sense, though, I bought a cheap one.”   
“Well, Skip has to work tomorrow, but when you find out, come over, and if it’s positive, then together we’ll think of a great way to tell him!”   
“That’s a great idea!” she cried, and pulled him into a hug. “Thank you so much, Don. You’re so good to me and Skip, I don’t know what we would do without you.”   
He opened his mouth to respond, but just then a few customers came in the door.   
“Hey, how are you guys doing?” asked Faye.   
“Good,” a man responded. “We have four.”   
Faye retrieved four menus and silverware from the host stand and then led them into the dining room to sit with Chuck. While she was gone, Don contemplated how he felt about Faye’s news. He was happy for them – really, he was. But he was also in total shock. He recalled Skip saying that he was diligent about safe sex so that this didn’t happen to him and Faye. Of course, Skip eventually wanted children, but they were still so young and not yet married. Harry and Kitty were a different situation – being engaged, they had essentially committed to each other already. Ultimately, Don decided, Skip would be happy. That is, if Faye was indeed pregnant.   
The rest of the shift went by relatively quickly. Eventually, because the night was so slow, only Don and Faye were left to close because the other servers were cut. They had both finished their sections, and were now going to the wait station to get everything done.   
“Okay, what needs to be done?” asked Faye.   
“Well, Chuck cleaned the coffee pots and rolled silverware,” Don said. “We just have to break down the soda machines and the tea and restock beneath the pit window.”   
“I’ll get the stuff to restock,” she offered. “It looks like all we really need are to-go boxes.”  
“Cool, I got the soda and tea then,” he agreed.   
They high-fived, and she went to the back.   
“I got some extra French fries if you want ‘em,” said Bill from the pit. He placed a small tray of fries in the window.   
“Oh, good, I’m starving!” Faye exclaimed and swept over, grabbing a few and shoving them in her mouth before going to the back for to-go boxes.   
“Thanks, Bill,” said Don, as he grabbed a handful as well.   
“Hey, everybody wants to go home, they don’t get no fries,” Bill replied, turning off the fryer.   
Don chuckled. Then Faye appeared with a bag of Styrofoam boxes. She stacked them under the pit window. She was standing up again, when a stream of water hit her square in the face. She sputtered for a second, and then the guys burst into laughter. Don got her a towel, laughing as he handed it to her.   
“Bill!” she scolded as she dabbed her face dry.   
“I’m sorry, baby, but you know I gotta hose down the slicer!” he contested, a huge grin on his face.   
She giggled in spite of herself as she got the water that had started to run down her neck. Don brushed some from her cheek. She frowned at Bill.  
“You saw me bend down, honey, I’m not buying that!” she argued.   
Even so, she let it go, and then sat down with Don to cash out. He couldn’t help but watch her as she counted out the money she owed the restaurant. There was something just so beautiful about her – something so feminine and delicate, but strong. She noticed him staring.   
“What is it?” she asked, the corners of her mouth turning upward slightly, as if she wasn’t sure she’d be happy with what she heard.   
“Nothing,” he said, meeting her gaze. He lowered his voice. “I was just thinking that…you’re gonna be a great mom.”  
She beamed at him. “Thank you.”  
She just smiled at him for one more moment before getting to her feet and heading back to the office to cash out with Dike. Don took his time, as Dike was the slowest manager of the bunch.   
Finally, when all was said and done, they were released from the restaurant. Faye was exhausted, and her appointment was early in the morning, so she went ahead and left. Don smoked a quick cigarette with the guys before he also headed home. When he opened the door, Skip was down on one knee, holding out a diamond ring in a black velvet box.   
“What do you think?” Skip asked.   
Don cracked a grin. “I think it’s beautiful, Skip, but my parents would kill me!”   
Skip laughed. “You know it’s for Faye, you dweeb.” He got to his feet.   
“Yeah, and I really do think it’s a beautiful ring,” Don said, serious now. “Give it here, lemme get a real look at it.”   
Skip did so, and Don took the ring out and inspected it. It was a simple and delicate ring – very much like Faye herself. It was perfect.   
“It’s great, Skip,” Don said. “That would be the one I would pick out.” After an awkward beat, he added, “You know, if I were you and proposing to Faye.”   
Skip barely noticed. “I’m gonna ask her after Harry and Kitty get married. I’m gonna take her to the park for the day, since that’s where we had our first date. Then I’m gonna make dinner reservations at this really upscale place, and then when we get home – and this is where I’ll need you and Penk – I’m gonna have the place decorated with candles and shit, and while she takes it all in, I’ll get on one knee, and when she turns around, I’m gonna ask her.”  
“I had no idea you were so romantic, Skip,” Don said, and he meant it. Skip had never talked like this before, even about Faye.   
“She deserves it,” Skip said, and he was the most genuine he had ever been about anything. “She deserves everything. I don’t know if I can give that to her, but I’ll spend the rest of my life trying.”   
Don was actually speechless. He gathered himself, and clapped Skip on the shoulder. “Don’t sell yourself short. She’s lucky to have you, too. Congratulations, man.”  
“Thanks,” Skip returned, smiling as wide as Don could remember. “Anyway, I gotta put this somewhere Faye can’t find it.”   
He bid Don good night and went upstairs to his bedroom. Don followed suit. As he got in bed, it really hit him that his best friend was gonna get married. He fell asleep with a smile on his face, knowing that his best friend and his lovely girl would be the happiest couple in the world.   
The next day, Don woke at eleven. Skip and Alex had already left for work, and Don had the rare moment of the house to himself. He got up, threw on a t-shirt, and went downstairs to make himself some breakfast. He started on some eggs and bacon, humming to himself as he went. He sat down in front of the TV and watched some Sports Center. At about twelve-thirty, the front door opened. It sounded urgent, so he went to meet the person at the door. He was not surprised to see that it was Faye, but he was stunned at her state. She was a mess – sobbing, tears streaming down her face, and she seemed to be finding it hard to breathe. She hurled herself into his arms.   
“Faye!” he gasped. “What is it?”  
“I’m not pregnant!” she wailed. “And I never will be!”   
He didn’t understand. He took her by the arm and led her to the couch. When she sat down, he went to close the front door. He returned to the living room to find her trembling on her seat, her face in her hands. He sat down in front of her, on the coffee table, and took one of her hands in his.   
“Hey,” he said as gently as he could. “What happened?”  
She took a deep breath. “I’m not pregnant, and I never will be.”   
“What are you talking about?” he pressed.   
“I can’t have children, Don!” she cried, and fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. “The doctor said I have a hormone imbalance which makes me unable to conceive.”   
Don found this so brutally unfair that he could not find any words to answer her.   
“Skip has always wanted kids,” she continued. “And I…well, I can’t give them to him.”  
Don finally found his voice. “What are you saying?”  
Her lip shook as she opened her mouth. “I’m saying I have to leave him.”  
He felt like she just punched him in the face. “What? No! You can’t leave him!”  
“Don, don’t!” she returned. “Skip is the greatest man I have ever known and he is the love of my life! He deserves children! He deserves someone who can give them to him!”  
“But he loves you!” Don argued. He felt like it was a childish argument, but he was making it anyway.   
“I love him too!” she said. “And because I love him, I have to let him go.”  
“But he wants to marry you!” he continued.   
“You don’t know that,” she said.   
“Yes I do!” he blurted out.   
She looked very hard at him and they had an understanding.   
“Skip…” she trailed off. “Haven’t you heard anything I just said?! I can’t do this to him! I love Skip, I can’t deprive him of this happiness. It would be too selfish of me. If we got married, knowing that I can never give him children…I could never forgive myself.”  
“You have to tell him,” he said simply.   
“Of course I have to tell him!” she said. “Don’t – don’t you think it’ll change his mind?”  
“No,” he told her. “I think he will still want to marry you.”   
She blinked a few times, and more tears leaked from her eyes. “How could he when –”  
“Faye, listen to me!” he interrupted, jumping to his feet. “Skip is not marrying you for your uterus, okay? He’s marrying you because he loves you exactly how you are! He loves that you sing off-key! He loves that you leave little notes for people when they’re feeling down! He loves that you yelled at him for swimming across the Niagara! He loves that you stole his sweatshirt and that you wear it better than he ever did! He loves that you feel comfortable enough here to not bother putting on makeup! He loves that you look so good without it anyway! He loves that you support him all the time! He loves that you are smart, and beautiful, and kind, and generous! He loves that when you found out that you couldn’t have a baby, your first thought was that you couldn’t give him a baby, when you have wanted children your whole life as well! No hormone imbalance is gonna change the way Skip feels about you! You two can figure out another way to have a baby!”  
Faye stared at him, an astounded expression on her face.   
Don sighed. “The fact that both of you think you got better than what you deserve just proves that you’re meant to be.”  
“Don,” she said, her eyes still red and puffy. He still thought she looked beautiful. “Are you in love with me?”  
“Skip is my best friend,” he replied. “I could never tell you that.”  
She nodded.   
“Now, all you need to do is tell him about this and then say yes when he gets down on one knee,” he said. “Then you two will make each other happier than you can imagine, okay? That’s all I need from you.”  
More tears welled up in her eyes and she pulled him into another hug.   
“Thank you, Don,” she said. She looked up at him and then pressed her lips to his cheek. “Now, I’m gonna go lie down. I think – I really think I need to be alone for a while.”   
He nodded, and she went upstairs to Skip’s room. He heard the door close, and then he went out on the back porch. He retrieved a cigarette, lit it, and took a long drag. As he blew the smoke into the air, he thought about the last few minutes. He meant every word he said to Faye. Skip loved her for all those reasons. Of course, he didn’t know about the infertility yet, and he realized that was why Faye asked what she did. However, he knew Skip would love Faye for that too. He was glad he did not fully admit his feelings to her. He knew he could never betray Skip that way. He decided that he would never get that close again. All he wanted was for Faye and Skip to be happy. If that happened, he would be happy for them.


	8. The Circle

George Luz was feeling dazed as he looked around the haze of smoke in the apartment. Joe and Web were lounging on the couch and the futon, respectively. It had been a rough night for George at work, so he gratefully accepted an invitation from Joe to come over and smoke a bowl. Malarkey came in very suddenly.   
“Sorry, guys,” he said as he entered. “Faye just told Skip some bad news, and they were still talking when I left.”  
“What’s up with Faye?” asked Web.   
“No, we’re talking about any drama tonight,” said Joe. “This is my house, my circle, and we do not discuss girl problems or any of that bullshit here. This is a fun place; a happy place.”   
“Fine by me,” Don agreed. “I didn’t feel like it was my shit to tell anyway.”   
The click of a lighter got everyone’s attention. George was already into the next round. Joe grinned.   
“Good,” he said, taking the bowl. He took his hit as George released the smoke he had been holding in his lungs.   
“So, shitty night at work, George?” asked Don.   
“Yeah, it was dumb slow,” George answered. “Late Night has never been so lousy.”   
Joe exhaled smoke and passed the bowl to Web. “You should have told Renee to get out there and shake a little somethin’.”   
George laughed. “I almost did it myself!”   
Don started to cough after he took a hit.   
“Damn, Malark, has it been that long?” George teased.   
Don nodded. “Yeah, actually. I haven’t smoked since Joe threw the party here.”   
“Jesus,” said Joe. “That’s been a minute.”   
They continued some back and forth for a while as they passed the bowl, packed it again, and continued passing it around. After everyone was sufficiently high, a cloud of smoke was hanging around them in the apartment.   
“You guys know what animal is really fuckin’ cool?” asked David. “Sharks.”   
George burst into laughter.   
“The fuck, Web?” questioned Joe.   
“I’m serious,” David continued. “Sharks are cool as shit.”  
“I dunno, man,” said Don. “I saw Jaws and that shit was not cool at all.”   
“Jaws is bullshit,” David argued. “That movie gave sharks a bad rep. Sharks are way more scared of us, man. And they are actually on the verge of extinction.”   
“I heard that like eighty percent of shark attacks happen in shallow water,” said Don.   
“Well, no shit,” George interjected, still recovering from his fit. “That’s where the people are.”   
This sent all four of them into fits of laughter.   
“Hey, Web,” said Joe as they all recovered. “You know what we should have more of?”  
“What?” asked Web.   
“Wind chimes,” answered Joe.   
“Oh, I fucking love wind chimes,” Don added.   
“Right?!” Joe continued. “Wind chimes are the shit. We should even have them inside.”   
“Wouldn’t that defeat the purpose, Joe?” David pointed out. “There’s no wind inside…y’know to make them chime.”   
George was giggling uncontrollably now.   
“Alright, we got Luz cheesin’!” said Joe victoriously, a smile on his own face as well.   
Web chuckled. “Luz is always cheesin’.”   
“I just –” George began, but could not seem to stay his laughter. “I just – I can feel all the cells in my body right now.”  
Joe snorted. “Luz, buddy, no you can’t.”  
“I wonder if Kitty – being all pregnant and stuff – can feel the cells growing inside her,” George continued. “Like, can you imagine feeling another life growing in you? That’s nucking futs, man.”   
David snorted. “Nucking futs?”   
“I know what the fuck I said,” George contested, grinning.   
“It is amazing how people reproduce,” David said. “It’s almost alien.”   
“The fuck are you talking about?” Joe argued. “All you gotta do is dump in a girl, and boom – life happens.”   
George actually fell on the floor laughing.   
“It’s not that simple,” said Don solemnly, though no one seemed to notice.   
“I don’t know what I would do if I had a kid,” said David. “Like, I can barely even remember to feed myself, much less another totally incompetent person that I have complete responsibility for. I can’t even have a pet.”  
“The only fun part about having kids is making them,” said Joe. “Which evidently stops after the kid comes.”   
“That would suck,” said Don.   
“Geez, you think Harry and Kitty will still love each other when they can’t have sex anymore?” George joked.   
“I think Harry and Kitty would love each other no matter what,” David said. “What they have, that’s true love, guys.”   
“You guys think there’s someone out there for you who’s like, the one?” Don wondered.   
“Fuck, no,” Joe said. “That’s just some idea the movies play on.”   
“So, you think everyone just settles?” David challenged.   
“No, I think you make the choice to commit to someone based on how you feel about them,” Joe answered. “Love is not this lovey-dovey, butterflies in your stomach feeling. Love is choosing that person even when you wanna chop their legs off and kick ‘em down the stairs.”   
“So, you don’t believe in soul mates or anything? Even for Harry and Kitty?” asked Don.   
“Look,” Joe began. “What Kitty and Harry have is great. They might think that they’re soul mates or whatever, but you’re right, I don’t believe in that. I think that we have no idea what Harry and Kitty really go through. I mean, shit, we only ever see them at work. They’re not gonna air out all their dirty laundry at work. So, of course we think they have this perfect relationship, when in reality, it’s just like everyone else’s. They have times where things go great, and they have struggles, just like any other couple.”   
“You have some well-formed opinions on love, Joe,” said David. “Is it something you think about a lot?”  
Joe smirked, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it. “Nah,” he said, puffing on it. “I’m just pulling this shit out of my ass.”   
“Can you imagine being angry enough to chop someone’s legs off?” George interjected. “I mean, they’d have to really piss you off.”   
“That they would, Luz,” said Joe. “That they would.”   
“There is so much smoke in here,” Don said. “Why would you light a cigarette?”  
“Because we started having real talk and I couldn’t enjoy the circle anymore!” Joe cried.   
“We can pack another bowl,” David suggested.   
“Nah,” said Joe. “Luz is already baked as a cake.”   
“Cake would be amazing right now,” George said.


	9. The Wedding

Before anyone realized it, Harry and Kitty’s wedding was upon them. The rescheduled date had thrown everyone for a bit of a loop, but they understood the reasoning. Mostly, everyone was excited for the event. In fact, Easy was closed for the day since no one was available to work and they were using the restaurant as a reception space.   
Dick was the best man. He gazed at himself in the mirror that morning, wondering if perhaps one day it might be his own wedding he was going to. He sighed, reminded himself that this was Harry and Kitty’s day, and then went to go and see if Lewis was awake.   
Nix had moved in with Dick almost immediately after Kathy had dropped the divorce news. Dick didn’t really mind helping out a friend, but he knew that Lewis was dreading going to a wedding while he was going through a divorce. Dick knocked and then opened the door. He was surprised to see that Lewis was awake and dressed.   
“I’m impressed,” he said. “I thought for sure you’d be pretending to be sick.”  
Nix scoffed. “Yeah, well, today’s not about me, is it?”   
“That’s very big of you, Nix.”  
“Whatever.”  
They walked out to the car and made their way to Harry and Kitty’s. Harry was getting ready in the guest room, and Kitty was in the master bedroom with her bridesmaids. Evidently, Dick and Lew were the first of the groomsmen to arrive. Harry met them outside. He was brimming with excitement.  
“Glad you guys are here!” he said. He was already dressed, and the photographer was behind him. “Once the other guys get in, we will start taking pictures. Then Kitty’s dad has cigars and brandy for us in the parlor.”   
Upstairs, Kitty was with her bridesmaids (mostly the other girls from Easy), and they were having a wonderful time. Franny had brought a bottle of rosé (and sparkling grape juice for Kitty) to enjoy while they prepared the bride for her big day. Of course, Kitty’s mother and Harry’s mother were also present. It was an atmosphere of laughter and joy.   
“So, Kitty, do you know if the baby is a boy or a girl yet?” asked Franny.   
Faye felt a pang of jealousy in her heart, which she ignored. The only people who knew about her condition were Don and Skip now.  
“We don’t,” Kitty answered. “But Harry and I want it to be a surprise.”  
“Do you have any names picked out?” wondered Renee.   
“We’re thinking Kevin for a boy, after Harry’s father,” Kitty said. “But we can’t agree on a girl’s name yet.”   
Faye had to change the subject. “So, Kitty, what did you want to do with your hair?”   
“Oh, I found a really elegant up-do that I love,” she replied. “But I dunno, Harry likes my hair down.”   
“Okay, Harry’s gonna think you look beautiful no matter what,” Franny said. “But this style looks really simple, so you could wear it up for the ceremony and then take it down at the reception if you want.”  
“I love that idea!” Kitty agreed.   
So they got to work on Kitty’s hair, and the photographer soon joined them to capture this moment with the bride and her bridesmaids.   
Downstairs, the rest of the groomsmen had arrived and they had taken their pictures. Now, they were gathered in the parlor. Skip and Don each took a cigar.   
“This might be the most grown man thing I have ever done,” Skip said, as he cut the end and then lit it.   
Don followed suit. “Yeah, I dunno. It might be more of a grown man thing to propose to your girlfriend.”  
Skip shushed him. “First of all, chill, no one but you and Penk know about that. Second of all, I haven’t proposed yet, so this remains the most grown man thing I’ve ever done.”   
“You and Faye doing alright, by the way?” Don dared to ask. He had not spoken to Faye much since their conversation about her fertility. He hadn’t heard anything from Skip about it.   
Skip became very serious. “Yeah. She told me that she can’t have children. That kinda messed with my head a bit. But I love Faye. I don’t want to marry a baby machine, I want to marry her. The baby thing…we can figure it out. But there’s no one I’d rather figure it out with, you know?”  
Don almost sighed in relief, but he knew he couldn’t let on what he knew. “Holy shit, dude. I’m sorry. I’m glad everything worked out and that you guys are still together but…damn, that’s a tough situation.”   
“Yeah, it had me fucked up,” Skip admitted. “But only for a minute. She kept talking, but it was like her lips were moving and no sound was coming out. Looking at her, it hit me just how much I love her. I love her more than I’ve ever loved anyone.”  
“That’s what you should say,” Don said.   
Skip gave him a quizzical look.   
“When you propose,” Don clarified. “That’s what you should say.”   
Skip smiled to himself. “Thanks, Don.”  
Across the room, Dick, Nix, Ron, and Buck were all standing by Harry.   
“So, Harry, are you nervous?” asked Buck.  
“Not even a little,” Harry returned. “I don’t think I’ve ever been more ready.”   
“Well, that’s good,” said Dick. “What about being a parent?”  
“I don’t think there’s any way to be really ready for that,” Harry joked.   
“That’s true,” said Nix. “I still don’t think I’m ready for a kid and Michael is six.”   
Harry chuckled. “I’m excited for everything that’s coming my way.”   
“We’re happy for you, Harry,” Dick said.   
Hours passed, but it seemed that the ceremony was very suddenly upon them. Harry was standing at the altar, and all the guests rose from their seats when the church doors opened, and Kitty, positively glowing on her father’s arm, made her walk down the aisle. Her dress was a simple ivory gown that flowed down her body. She was not showing, but in the dress, no one would have noticed. She and Harry beamed at one another as she approached him.   
They reached the altar, Kitty kissed her father on the cheek, and then took Harry’s hands. The minister told everyone to sit, and the ceremony began. Kitty and Harry had prepared their own vows. Kitty went first.   
“Harry,” she began. “We met on the Fourth of July, but the fireworks were not only in the sky that night. They were between us as well. Every little girl dreams of her perfect wedding – the dress, the church, the flowers, all of that. But the most important thing was the perfect guy. My wedding day is different than I imagined, but I could not have created someone more perfect for me than you. I promise that for the rest of my life, I will try to be the wife of your dreams, as I know you will be the husband of mine. I promise to support you, to hold you, and to love you unconditionally. We will have fireworks every day. I love you so much.” She sniffled as a tear leaked out and ran down her cheek.   
Harry’s eyes were also welling as he began. “Kitty. You have changed my life in so many ways. I never thought about getting married until we met. The thought of committing to someone forever was terrifying. The thought of having children with someone was even scarier. But as I looked at you the day we met, and as I look at you now, I’m not afraid of any of it. I know that with you by my side, we can do anything. I promise to spend every day of the rest of my life trying to give you a fraction of the happiness that you bring to mine. I promise to love you and our child with everything I have. I promise to be yours now and forever. I love you.”  
They smiled, and Kitty wiped her eyes quickly. The minister cued Dick to bring the rings forward, and he did so. Kitty and Harry exchanged them. There was hardly a dry eye in the sanctuary. They were pronounced husband and wife, and they kissed. The kiss was short and sweet, as neither of them could stop smiling. They made their way back down the aisle as their friends and family clapped for them. The wedding party followed them out to take pictures before the reception.   
Pictures went by as quickly as possible, but Kitty and Harry had arranged a cocktail hour for those not in the wedding. Once the wedding party arrived, everyone gathered on the dance floor to watch the first dance. Harry and Kitty had chosen “The Book of Love” by Peter Gabriel for their song. They swayed back and forth to the music as all eyes were on them. Then everyone was invited to dance as the DJ picked it up with a few upbeat songs. A lot of people retreated to the bar.   
At the bar, Nixon was already nursing a shot of Vat 69. Dick took a seat next to him.   
“How you holding up, Nix?” he asked.   
“Cheers,” Nix returned holding up his glass.   
“Very funny,” Dick replied. “Come on, you can’t just sit at the bar and drown in whiskey.”   
“Wanna bet?”   
“It’s a wedding, you should dance.”  
Nix scoffed. “Yeah, right. Do you even dance, Dick?”  
Dick chuckled and shrugged. “Sure. If the right partner ever came along.”   
Nix looked out on the dance floor. A slow song was playing and he looked at the couples: Harry and Kitty, Bill and Franny, Skip and Faye, Johnny and Pat, Lip and JoAnne, Roe and Renee. He huffed and had to look away.   
“Dancing is for people who are in love,” he said bitterly.   
“How do you think they all fell in love?” Dick challenged.   
Nix scowled. “I don’t wanna talk about love anymore.”   
“Alright. Anything you do wanna talk about?”  
“No. I just want to sit here and drink and be a grouchy divorcee, if you don’t mind.”   
Dick smirked. “Okay, Nix.”   
The next song was more upbeat, and the bar cleared up a little bit. Kitty invited Dick to dance with her, so he joined her, leaving Nix with his whiskey. He took a shot.   
As the night came to a close, everyone gathered outside for the sendoff. They lined up to make an aisle to the door of Easy. Each person had a flower to toss as the newlyweds left for their honeymoon. Harry and Kitty took each other’s hand and then ran between their friends, laughing as they went. Harry helped Kitty into the car that had “Just Married” written on the back. As they pulled off, they waved to their friends until they were out of sight.   
“What a beautiful wedding,” said Bill.   
“For a beautiful couple,” added Webster.   
“Can you believe they get to go to Hawaii and we all have to fucking come in to work tomorrow?” joked Luz.


End file.
